Top 10 Most Underrated Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs
I have an underrated song series on this blog where I talk about the underrated songs of my favorite artists. I haven't written one of these posts in a while, but they seem to be pretty popular, so I thought I'd write about the most underrated songs of my favorite band of all time: the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Writing this post was really difficult for me because I've never met an RHCP song that I don't like. However, I managed to narrow it down to ten (plus two bonus songs). I should note that the songs on this list aren't necessarily the best or most popular RHCP songs. This is just a list of RHCP songs that are really fantastic and don't get the credit they deserve. I'm excluding songs like "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away" (which is one of my absolute favorites) because they're too popular.
In case you don't know, RHCP is a rock band/alt-rock band (with an emphasis on funk, as you'll see) that was formed in the 1980s in LA. They've been making amazing music for decades, so let's get into my list:
1. Purple Stain from Californication - This may be my favorite RHCP song ever; it's one of those songs that you put on and immediately start bobbing your head. It's just got this great vibe. Everything about it is just great: the guitar, the bass, the drums, the vocals, and the lyrics. And, the lyrics are super entertaining. As with most RHCP songs, I don't know specifically what the lyrics are talking about, and this song is particularly "word soup-ish," but I do enjoy the lyrics. My favorite lyric is "up to my ass in alligators/ Let's get it on with the alligator haters"; I don't know what it means, and I don't want to know what it means, but it is entertaining. Plus, the outro is EPIC. Just give it a listen.
2. American Ghost Dance from Freaky Styley - Okay, so the BASS on this song GIVES ME LIFE. It's so addictive I can't even stand it. It's just such a POWERFUL bass line; it's like bum bum badubadubadu bum. It's so intense! Like, when I "discovered" the song, I couldn't stop listening to it. Seriously, I was listening to it on a loop for like 45 minutes at a time. I mean, at that point, I was just like "do other songs even exist?" The guitar is also EXTREMELY funky; I mean, it's like funky in the EXTREME. Anyway, I feel like no one really knows about this song because it came out in 1985, and no one really knows the Chili's early stuff from before Blood Sugar Sex Magik. That's partially because their early stuff wasn't as good -- I'm keeping it real over here -- but it's also because they just weren't as popular back then. This is one of their early songs that you really should listen to.
3. Warlocks from Stadium Arcadium - Okay, at this point, I'm going to pause to say that Stadium Arcadium is, without a doubt, RHCP's best album. Every song on Stadium Arcadium is just fantastic; however, Warlocks is probably my favorite. It's just so FUNKY; it gives me life. Plus, I love the chorus ("Every night I go looking for you/ Everyone in the world adores you"), which doesn't really match the rest of the song, but it clashes in a good way.
4. Factory of Faith from I'm With You - This song is a bop, as the young people say (but, in all seriousness, I'm very fuzzy on what the phrase "bop" actually means; so, if you're young, explain it in the comments). The beat and the bass are just so smooth and cool and interesting. It's the best song on I'm With You without a doubt.
5. Hump de Bump from Stadium Arcadium - This song is just too funky for life. I said above that I think that Stadium Arcadim is RHCP's best album, and this song is a great example of why. The beat is just infectious, and it's just so fun to listen to. Actually, it kind of reminds me of "American Ghost Dance," which may be why I like it so much and may be why I think it's so FUNKY. That's really all I can say about it: it's just too funky for life; it's great.
6. Animal Bar from Stadium Arcadium - The vocals really make this song; I really like Anthony Kiedis' voice in general, but I particularly like his vocal style on this song, especially what he does with the chorus. This song actually used to be my favorite RHCP song back around 2009, before I discovered "Purple Stain" and "American Ghost Dance." I think Flea actually said in an interview that this was one of the bass lines he's most proud of, so that's REALLY saying something.
7. Look Around from I'm With You - Okay, so the bass on this song is kickin', which is why it's on this list. I mean all of the Chili Peppers' songs have kickin' bass lines because Fleas is quite possibly the best bass player ever; and I apologize to Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones, and Jack Bruce for saying that. Anyway, the bass line on this son is just fantastic, and the rest of the song is, of course, really good too. It's really upbeat and fun, but it also has some feeling behind it, some emotion.
8. Wet Sand from Stadium Arcadium - If you want to cry, put on this song. Granted, books and music makes me cry pretty easily, so maybe that's not saying much; however, it is a super emotional song, and it gives me seriously sad vibes. Although, I couldn't tell you what I think it's about. It's just such a beautiful song; actually, I think Flea said it was one of his favorite songs on Stadium Arcadium. The guitar part is just so pretty (I mean, of course it's pretty because John Frusciante is a musical genius). Anyway, go listen to it and cry.
9. Dosed from By the Way - Okay, so this is another tearjerker. I legitimately used to listen to this song to work up some feelings if I wanted to write an emotional scene in a story or something. I also really like the guitar on this song; I just think it's really pretty. By the Way is one of my favorite RHCP albums ever, but there's only one song from it on this list because this list is only 10 songs long. However, I do want to say that By the Way is an A+ album; you can sit down and listen to this album all the way through, and there isn't one bad song on it. It's just so smooth to listen to. Anyway, I think that "Dosed" is one of the most underrated songs on the album.
10. Tell Me Baby from Stadium Arcadium - Maybe I should just put the whole Stadium Arcadium album on this list. Anyway, this song is really, really catchy. The chorus is great, and it's just really fun to listen to. Plus, as usual, the bass line is great. I also think it has some emotional impact, which is is what makes a good song really great. Anyway, give it a listen; it's almost impossible not to like.
Bonus Song: Fight Like a Brave from The Uplift Mofo Party Plan - This song is so INTENSE. I LOVE it. This song is from The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, which is one of RHCP's earlier and less popular albums, which is why this song is not very well known. I think it's particularly powerful because the song is about Anthony Kiedis' struggle to recover from his heroin addiction. Anyway, it's a really cool song, and it definitely deserves a listen.
Bonus Song: Death of a Martian from Stadium Arcadium - Okay, so "Death of a Martian" was never a song that I loved on Stadium Arcadium; it was always a song that I was kind of indifferent to. I liked it, but that was all. Then, I learned about the story behind the song. The song is actually about Flea's dog, Martian, who passed away while they were working on Stadium Arcadium. I'm a sucker for good pet stories, so I now really love this song. If you have a pet, you should give it a listen.
Let me know your favorite RHCP songs in the comments.
Just sayin'
Writing this post was really difficult for me because I've never met an RHCP song that I don't like. However, I managed to narrow it down to ten (plus two bonus songs). I should note that the songs on this list aren't necessarily the best or most popular RHCP songs. This is just a list of RHCP songs that are really fantastic and don't get the credit they deserve. I'm excluding songs like "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away" (which is one of my absolute favorites) because they're too popular.
In case you don't know, RHCP is a rock band/alt-rock band (with an emphasis on funk, as you'll see) that was formed in the 1980s in LA. They've been making amazing music for decades, so let's get into my list:
1. Purple Stain from Californication - This may be my favorite RHCP song ever; it's one of those songs that you put on and immediately start bobbing your head. It's just got this great vibe. Everything about it is just great: the guitar, the bass, the drums, the vocals, and the lyrics. And, the lyrics are super entertaining. As with most RHCP songs, I don't know specifically what the lyrics are talking about, and this song is particularly "word soup-ish," but I do enjoy the lyrics. My favorite lyric is "up to my ass in alligators/ Let's get it on with the alligator haters"; I don't know what it means, and I don't want to know what it means, but it is entertaining. Plus, the outro is EPIC. Just give it a listen.
2. American Ghost Dance from Freaky Styley - Okay, so the BASS on this song GIVES ME LIFE. It's so addictive I can't even stand it. It's just such a POWERFUL bass line; it's like bum bum badubadubadu bum. It's so intense! Like, when I "discovered" the song, I couldn't stop listening to it. Seriously, I was listening to it on a loop for like 45 minutes at a time. I mean, at that point, I was just like "do other songs even exist?" The guitar is also EXTREMELY funky; I mean, it's like funky in the EXTREME. Anyway, I feel like no one really knows about this song because it came out in 1985, and no one really knows the Chili's early stuff from before Blood Sugar Sex Magik. That's partially because their early stuff wasn't as good -- I'm keeping it real over here -- but it's also because they just weren't as popular back then. This is one of their early songs that you really should listen to.
3. Warlocks from Stadium Arcadium - Okay, at this point, I'm going to pause to say that Stadium Arcadium is, without a doubt, RHCP's best album. Every song on Stadium Arcadium is just fantastic; however, Warlocks is probably my favorite. It's just so FUNKY; it gives me life. Plus, I love the chorus ("Every night I go looking for you/ Everyone in the world adores you"), which doesn't really match the rest of the song, but it clashes in a good way.
4. Factory of Faith from I'm With You - This song is a bop, as the young people say (but, in all seriousness, I'm very fuzzy on what the phrase "bop" actually means; so, if you're young, explain it in the comments). The beat and the bass are just so smooth and cool and interesting. It's the best song on I'm With You without a doubt.
5. Hump de Bump from Stadium Arcadium - This song is just too funky for life. I said above that I think that Stadium Arcadim is RHCP's best album, and this song is a great example of why. The beat is just infectious, and it's just so fun to listen to. Actually, it kind of reminds me of "American Ghost Dance," which may be why I like it so much and may be why I think it's so FUNKY. That's really all I can say about it: it's just too funky for life; it's great.
6. Animal Bar from Stadium Arcadium - The vocals really make this song; I really like Anthony Kiedis' voice in general, but I particularly like his vocal style on this song, especially what he does with the chorus. This song actually used to be my favorite RHCP song back around 2009, before I discovered "Purple Stain" and "American Ghost Dance." I think Flea actually said in an interview that this was one of the bass lines he's most proud of, so that's REALLY saying something.
7. Look Around from I'm With You - Okay, so the bass on this song is kickin', which is why it's on this list. I mean all of the Chili Peppers' songs have kickin' bass lines because Fleas is quite possibly the best bass player ever; and I apologize to Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones, and Jack Bruce for saying that. Anyway, the bass line on this son is just fantastic, and the rest of the song is, of course, really good too. It's really upbeat and fun, but it also has some feeling behind it, some emotion.
8. Wet Sand from Stadium Arcadium - If you want to cry, put on this song. Granted, books and music makes me cry pretty easily, so maybe that's not saying much; however, it is a super emotional song, and it gives me seriously sad vibes. Although, I couldn't tell you what I think it's about. It's just such a beautiful song; actually, I think Flea said it was one of his favorite songs on Stadium Arcadium. The guitar part is just so pretty (I mean, of course it's pretty because John Frusciante is a musical genius). Anyway, go listen to it and cry.
9. Dosed from By the Way - Okay, so this is another tearjerker. I legitimately used to listen to this song to work up some feelings if I wanted to write an emotional scene in a story or something. I also really like the guitar on this song; I just think it's really pretty. By the Way is one of my favorite RHCP albums ever, but there's only one song from it on this list because this list is only 10 songs long. However, I do want to say that By the Way is an A+ album; you can sit down and listen to this album all the way through, and there isn't one bad song on it. It's just so smooth to listen to. Anyway, I think that "Dosed" is one of the most underrated songs on the album.
10. Tell Me Baby from Stadium Arcadium - Maybe I should just put the whole Stadium Arcadium album on this list. Anyway, this song is really, really catchy. The chorus is great, and it's just really fun to listen to. Plus, as usual, the bass line is great. I also think it has some emotional impact, which is is what makes a good song really great. Anyway, give it a listen; it's almost impossible not to like.
Bonus Song: Fight Like a Brave from The Uplift Mofo Party Plan - This song is so INTENSE. I LOVE it. This song is from The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, which is one of RHCP's earlier and less popular albums, which is why this song is not very well known. I think it's particularly powerful because the song is about Anthony Kiedis' struggle to recover from his heroin addiction. Anyway, it's a really cool song, and it definitely deserves a listen.
Bonus Song: Death of a Martian from Stadium Arcadium - Okay, so "Death of a Martian" was never a song that I loved on Stadium Arcadium; it was always a song that I was kind of indifferent to. I liked it, but that was all. Then, I learned about the story behind the song. The song is actually about Flea's dog, Martian, who passed away while they were working on Stadium Arcadium. I'm a sucker for good pet stories, so I now really love this song. If you have a pet, you should give it a listen.
Let me know your favorite RHCP songs in the comments.
Just sayin'
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